Shoe hanger



E. M. WATSON SHOE HANGER Feb. 23, 1932.

Filed May 12, 1931 Inueniar. I min 17 7. W,a1'son By M dicates a metal Patented Feb. 23, 1932 EDWIN M. WATSON, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON snon HANGER Application filed May 12, 1931.

The object of the invention is to provide a convenient means for hanging shoes in closets or other desired locations, with the uppers facing outwardly, their toes downward ly and their soles concealed so as not to come in contact with other suspended garments that may come into contact with the suspended shoes.

Reference will be had to the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views wherein Fig. 1 is a View in front elevation of the invention showing one of the hangers in use and the others hangers out of use.

F 2 is a vertical sectional view illustrating one of the hangers in service position in connection with a shoe, and showing in dotted lines the non-service position of the hanger.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line of Fig. 2, and

Fig. a is a similar view showing the use of the device in connection with a shoe tree.

In the drawings, reference numeral 5 inplate, which is adapted to be attached to a closet door or to a wall by means of screws 6, and this plate has its upper edge rolled over to form a hinge barrel 7 which is notched at intervals as at 8 to receive the barrel shaped ends 9 of shoe hanger arms 10. A pintle 12 extends through the barrels 7 and 9 and has one of its ends bent substantially at right angles to form a finger piece islwhich normally is turned downwardly against the plate 5 and seats in a notch 15 provided in a flange 16. This flange and the parallel flange 17 are formed by cutting away a portion of the barrel 7 of the plate. By turning the finger piece 14: to a horizontal position and out of the notch 15, it may be slid between the flanges 16 and 17 and the pintle 12 removed to release the hangers for rearrangement or substitution therefor of different hangers according to the types of shoes to be supported. After the hangers have been replaced the pintle is restored to the original position by reversing the order of the described operation.

The plate 5 may be of any length and any number of hangers applied thereto. In the Serial No. 536,894.

drawings three types of hangers are illustrated, the difference between them consisting in the length of their arms 10, and in having the heads 20 unnotched or notched as at 21 to provide furcations 22.

The heads 20 are each substantially spoonshaped, that is to say, each isbent to substantially conform to the curvature of the inner face of the rear wall of a low or oxford shoe,

the free end portion thereof being wider than where the head joins with the arms 10.

The hangers are bent back upon themselves as at 25 where their arms 10 join with the heads 20 and from the points 25 for a short distance therefrom, the arms 10 and heads 20 66 are separated a distance approximating the thickness of the rear wall of a shoe, so as to snugly engage such wall. The arms 10 only engage with the shoe for a short distance from the bend 25 and for most not contact with theshoe when in service.

In use, the selected hanger is swung upwardly to approximate the angle indicated at A in Fig.2, and the upper edge of the shoe is then inserted between thearm 10 and head 20, and the shoe is then lowered until its heel contacts with the plate 5. The rear corner 26 of the shoe heel will strike the plate first at which time the upper edge 27 of the shoe will be anywhere between the point 28 of the hanger arm 10 and the bend 25 thereof. As the weight of the shoe falls upon the head 20 the entire hanger will swing downwardly until the upper edge 27 of the shoe is forced againstthe bend 25, and the heel of the shoe may even ride upwardly on the plate 5 until the tread of the shoe heel is flat upon the plate. The shoe sole 29, however, will not come into contact with the wall to soil' the same since the distance from the barrel 9 to the bend 25 of the arm is of insufficient length to permit the shoe to rock on the forward heel corner 30 which would be essential in permitting the shoe sole to contact with the wall. As a matter of fact, the center of gravity of many shoes is to the left of where the shoe is engaged by the hanger head 20 in Fig. 2 and the toe end of such shoes will naturally swing to a position of arrest away from the wall.

of their length do 70 The important factor, however, is to employ a hanger whose arm 10 will not permit the sole of a shoe to swing against the wall.

The hanger may be used with most types a of shoe trees whether such trees have or do not have knobs or plates at the rear ends of their stretcher bars. Moreover with all forms of hangers, a shoe tree may be applied to a shoe after the latter has been suspended in which case the heel ball or plate of the tree bears against the hanger head 20, which as previously stated, conforms to the contour of the rear of a shoe. If the shoe tree is tobe' applied to the shoe before the latter is suspended, then the notched form of hanger is used so its, furcations 22 will straddle the stretcher bar of the shoe tree, the heel ball or plate of the shoe tree becoming interposed between the head and the rear wall of the 20 gshoe and the space 31 (Fig. 2) being taken up to permit this.

What is claimed is z- 1. A shoe hanger, comprising a wall-piece, a hook-shaped hanger memberpivoted there- .t o with its free end disposed in the general direction of its point of pivot, and the free end portion being shaped to conform substantially to the general contour of the rear wall of a shoe.

2: 2. A shoe hanger comprising a wall-piece,

anda substantially U-shaped hanger member pivoted at one of its ends to said wall piece, the distance from said wall-piece to the crotch of the hanger member being such ;-.as-to cause the sole of the shoe at the ball thereof to be out of contact with a wall when theshoe heel is in contact with the wallpiece.

3. A shoe hanger, comprising a wall-piece, 1and a substantially U-shaped hanger member pivoted at one of its ends to said wallpiece, and having a notch provided in its other end to accommodate a shoe tree, the distance from said wall-piece to the crotch .Of the hanger member being such as to cause the sole of the shoe at the ball thereof to be out of contact with a wall when the shoe heel is in contact with the wall-piece.

In testimony whereof I afl'ix my signature. 1a EDWIN M. WATSON. 

